What So Proudly We Hail
The Meaning of America: Equality
What if society sought equality by handicapping the gifted and dispelling any traces of diversity? Kurt Vonnegut Jr. offers one possible answer to this question through his incredibly engaging and thought-provoking satirical...
Curated OER
Writing a Tall Tale
Students study the various aspects of tall tales. They read various tall tales and discuss the characteristics and literature aspects of tall tales. Students write their own unique tall tales.
Curated OER
Women Writers and Dissent in 20th and 21st Century American Literature
Tenth graders read examples of writings by women authors showing their dissent. After completion of their reading, they brainstorm on why they believe female authors have criticized society. In groups, they use the Internet to research...
Curated OER
Buoyant Behavior
Combine science and literature with this lesson on buoyancy. Read There's an Ant in Anthony by Bernard Most to examine words containing the letters a, n, and t. Then introduce your class to the word "buoyant." Demonstrate how an egg...
Curated OER
???The Hell of Mirrors??? by Edogawa Rampo
Students read and analyze the story "The Hell of Mirrors," by Edogawa Rampo. They watch a video excerpt, answer discussion questions, construct a periscope, complete handouts, define key vocabulary terms, take a quiz, and write a book...
Curated OER
Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson
In this online interactive reading comprehension worksheet, students respond to 11 short answer and essay questions based on Winesburg, Ohio. Students may also access an online quiz on the selection using the link at the bottom of the page.
Macmillan Education
The Tell-Tale Heart
Rather than who done it, the mystery literary detectives have to solve as they examine the evidence found in Edgar Allan Poe's famous "The Tell-Tale Heart" is why did he do it?
Curated OER
Picture This!
Students practice the strategy of visualization to aid in their reading comprehension of text. They paint mental pictures from readings from their history books, "The World and Its People: the US and It's Neighbors," and short stories...
Scholastic
Defining Conflict Using "The Interlopers"
Feeling conflicted? Work out those issues with a language arts lesson plan on internal and external conflict. Using "The Interlopers" by Saki, class members identify the conflicts between the characters before writing their own short...
Curated OER
1920s Images and Ideals PowerPoint Project
Students explore Teaching the American Twenties, noting fashion, life styles, Hollywood, key authors, key people, and key events. They explore the sites and note what they can identify from the time period for this collection. They write...
Curated OER
Archaeology and Storytelling
Middle schoolers identify and interpret both individual families and whole cultures learn about their pasts by collecting and analyzing stories and artifacts. Then they identify that not all archaeological finds readily reveal their...
Curated OER
Reading Multicultural Literature
Students read several fictional pieces which examine issues of urbanization and rural cultures. They discuss how the place a person lives affects the kind of person they become.
Curated OER
Poetry on the Web
Eighth graders search a website and locate a poem written by a specific poet whose work appears in the grade 8 anthology. After listening to poetry, 8th graders present oral or written examples of imagery and an analysis of the imagery.
Curated OER
A Friend Is...
Students investigate characteristics of friendship through literature and interviews then share their ideas through posters. They role play scenarios related to friends and problems they might have. This lesson reflects cross curricular...
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The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Eleventh graders discover the thematic connections between classical literary and popular song lyrics. In this English instructional activity, 11th graders research a specific topic to be presented to the class. Students analyze song...
Curated OER
Cause and Effect Slide Show
Second graders use KidPix software to create a slide show demonstrating their understanding of cause and effect in literature.
Curated OER
The Floating World
Pupils explore through art and literature the social mores and ideals of beauty during the Edo period (1615-1868) in Japan. This lesson includes resource links and possible lesson enrichments.
Curated OER
Lesson 1: Theatre Arts
Students create and perform based on cuttings from various plays and literature to demonstrate the learning of the process of improvisation. Students connect improvisation with theatre and real life. Students participate in a class...
Curated OER
Effective Literary Analyses
Twelfth graders discuss a fictional text that they are given, they identify passages, which highlight the author's style, language naances and textual ambiguities. Pupils brainstorm possible topics for an analytical essay, they are...
Curated OER
Map of Ship Trap Island
Young scholars read the short story "The Most Dangerous Game," and create maps of Ship Trap Island and justify why items are placed on their map in certain locations.
Curated OER
Poetry through Jazz, Rap, and Hip Hop
Learners explore poetry through jazz, rap, and hip hop music. They discover the common threads that run through the poetry and music. Students design their own lyrics to a jazz, rap, or hip hop selection and share their songs with the...
Curated OER
1920s Variety Show
To better understand the cultural achievements of the Harlem Renaissance and become familiar with its major figures, class members examine a painting by Aaron Douglas and a poem by Langston Hughes and compare how the artists develop...
Curated OER
MLA Bibliography Worksheet
Help your class remember how to cite different sources. Reviewed on this two-page document are books, articles from a database, articles from a magazine, and websites. Examples are provided, and learners use the charts to fill in the...
Curated OER
Carl Sandburg's "Chicago": Bringing a Great City Alive
Students examine the historical and cultural context in Sandburg's poem. The poetic devices of personification and apostrophe are utilized in the poem and identified by Students.